Last year, the Bulls acquired Markkanen in their franchise-changing, draft-night trade of Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves. On Thursday night, the Bulls sought to find Markkanen’s premier partner moving forward in the rebuild.

After attempts to trade up for Marvin Bagley III and Jaren Jackson Jr. that sources said never got close, the Bulls stayed at No. 7 and drafted 6-foot-10-inch Wendell Carter Jr. from Duke.

Carter, who impressed the Bulls throughout the draft process, is the type of big man management envisions will fit in today’s NBA and complement Markkanen. They potentially could become a potent inside-out force.

With their second first-round pick at No. 22, acquired from the Pelicans in the Nikola Mirotic trade, the Bulls added Boise State wing Chandler Hutchison.

At the NBA draft combine, Carter talked openly about how his game can expand at the next level after sacrificing for his more heralded Duke teammate Bagley. Carter drew pre-draft comparisons to former All-Stars in Al Horford and Elton Brand.

“You guys have heard us talk a lot about versatility. We think we got two guys who fit that description,” general manager Gar Forman said. “In Wendell we get a young big who we think, if you look long term, is a guy who can fit with Lauri. He’s got size with a 7-4 wingspan. He can run the floor and play with pace. He can go inside or outside. He has a developing post game. And he can step out and shoot the ball on the perimeter.”

Carter, 19, averaged 13.5 points and 9.1 rebounds in his lone season at Duke. He’s considered an elite rebounder and has the ability to face up or play with his back to the basket. He also shot 41.3 percent on 3-pointers and blocked 2.1 shots per game. The Bulls ranked last in blocked shots while posting the third-worst defensive rating last season.

Following his workout at the Advocate Center, Carter showed his knowledge of today’s game — talking about the need to switch onto smaller players and guard them in space — and also talked about learning under Robin Lopez. The Bulls long have valued Lopez’s professionalism and mentorship.

“We feel he can grow in that area,” executive vice president John Paxson said. “He’s got a high basketball IQ.”

The 6-7 Hutchison left last month’s draft combine in Chicago after reportedly receiving a promise from the Bulls. The rare four-year player’s stock rose dramatically after he improved his scoring average from 3.1 points his freshman year to 20 his senior year. He also averaged 7.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in being named first-team all-Mountain West.

Photos of the Bulls' Wendell Carter Jr. whom the team selected from Duke with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

“Chandler is long, athletic, with a 7-1 wingspan,” Forman said. “He has a lot to his game. He’s very good defensively. He can put the ball on the floor. He can slash. He’s a streaky shooter but has a good stroke so he can improve in that area.”

The Bulls held trade talks with the Hawks, who owned the third pick, and the Grizzlies, who owned the fourth. In both cases, they didn’t want to sacrifice the future first-round picks it would’ve cost to move up a few spots for Jackson or Trae Young.

The Hawks ultimately traded down with the Mavericks, with the Hawks getting Young’s draft rights at No. 5 and a future first-round pick from the Mavericks. Dallas landed Luka Doncic’s draft rights at No. 3.

With the Grizzlies, who drafted Jackson, the Bulls weren’t interested in swallowing the two years and $49 million remaining on Chandler Parsons’ contract. The Bulls liked Mo Bamba, who went to the Magic at No. 6, but didn’t engage in attempts to move up for him.

One long-shot scenario disappeared by midafternoon when the Kings leaked they were locked into drafting Bagley with the second pick. The Bulls privately had hoped the Kings would become enamored with Michael Porter Jr., dropping Bagley to a slot from which the Bulls could possibly trade up and acquire Bagley.

Though they respected his talent, the Bulls never seriously considered Porter, who fell out of the top lottery because of concerns over his surgically repaired back, league sources said. The Bulls performed Porter’s physical two weeks ago because of his locally based agency’s long-standing relationship with the franchise and had a head start on its less-than-promising, long-term prognosis before sharing it with the rest of the league.

“Lauri is a cornerstone of our direction, along with Zach (LaVine) and Kris (Dunn),” Paxson said. “Tonight is just an extension of that. We walk away feeling really good about the two players we drafted and the direction we’re heading.”